Ladder.



H. A. MYERS.

LADDER.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 9, 1908.

909,31 5. Patented Jan. 12, 1909.

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lllTlE HUBERT A. MYERS, OF GOSHEN, INDIANA.

LADDER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 12, 1909 Application filed January 9, 1908. Serial No.409,975.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HUBERT A. MYERS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Goshen, in the county of Elkhart and State of Indiana, haveinvented certain new and useful improvements in Ladders; and 1 dodeclare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of theinvention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to ladders, and has for its object to provide atruss for the step of the ladder which will at the same time brace themiddle of the step and hold the risers of the ladder against the stepends; and to provide a truss of this kind which may be easily andcheaply manufactured and easily assembled.

Another object is to provide adjustable folding braces whereby the legsof the ladder may be held in place at different angles from the ladder.

In the annexed drawing, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a step laddershowing my improved device applied thereto; Fig. 2 is a sectional viewtaken on the line of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrow; Fig.3 is a perspective view of the adjustable locking means for the foldingbraces; Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of the locking meansclosed 5 is a sectional view taken on the lines 55 of Fig. 4; and Fig. 6is a sectional view taken on the line 66 of Fig. 4.

The drawing shows my invention as applied to a step ladder, 1. A wirerod, 3, is passed around the risers, 2, ol the ladder, 1, the endsthereof being brought beneath the center of the step, 4, and passedinwardly through the ends of a small link, 5, and formed into hookedends, 6, embracing the wire rod, 3, near its mid point, the distancebetween said mid. point and said link being such that they are drawnwell under and away from the edges of the step. The outer loop ends, 7,of the wire rod are placed around the risers at or just lower than theends of the steps, and a wedge, not shown, may be driven between thesteps and said midpoint, and said link until the wire is fullytightened. This wedge is then followed by a block, 8, which remainsi'irmly in place between the wire rod and the step, as shown, and formsmeans to hold the rod tight and to support the central point of thestep. The combination thus shown forms a very effective truss, not onlyfor supporting the middle point of the step, but also for holding therisers of the ladder firmly against displacement from the ends of thesteps. The construction shown is found to be very efficient and can beeasily placed on the step ladder.

Each riser is provided at its upper end with an angle plate, 9, to whichplates are pivoted the legs, 10, of the ladder, the back being providedwith the usual diagonal braces, 11, and the cross braces, 12. A shelf,13, is provided with rearwardly extend ing side pieces, 14, by whichsaid shelf is pivoted between the legs, 10, as at the pivots, 15. Inorder to adjust the angle between the legs, 10, and the risers, 2, andto permit the latter to be folded, I provide separate folding braces,composed of members, 16, and 17. Near one end of the member, 16, ispivotally secured, as by means of the rivet, 18, a clamp, 19, said clampconsisting of a plate having a body portion, 20, each end of which isbent laterally to form side members, 21, of a housing, 22, the extremeedge of said side members being again laterally bent as shown. At eachend of the housing, 22, the clamp, 19,'has plate extensions, 23, adaptedto resiliently press against the member, 17, slidably received in thehousing 22. The plate, 23, is inclined as at 24 and is adapted to beengaged by the beveled head, 25, of the stud, 26, passing through themember, 167

It is obvious that when the members, 16 and 17, are in alinement witheach other, that the heads, 25, will bear against the plate, 23, andpress the same firmly in engagement with the member, 17, thus lockingthe members, 16 and 17 against longitudinal movement with respect toeach other. When the members, 16 and 17, are turned at an angle to eachother, as shown in Fig. 3, the beveled heads, 25, will no longer causethe plate, 23, to press against the member, 17, thus leaving the member,17, free to move within the housing, 22, whereby the length of thefolding members may be adjusted.

The leg 10 being pivotally connected with the risers 22 renders itpossible by means of the adjustable folding brace to adjust the anglebetween one leg and its riser to be less or greater than the anglebetween the other leg and corresponding riser, whereby the lower end ofone leg may be placed higher than the lower end of the other leg toaccommodate for unevenness in the floor or other place, where the ladderis placed.

When it is desired to fold the ladder, the

folding members are bent downwardly, the shelf 13 is folded between thelegs, 10, and the legs, 10, are folded against the risers.

It is thought that the operation and advantages of my invention will beunderstood without further explanation.

While in this description I have described minute details, I do notlimit myself to these, as the same may be eatly varied Without departingfrom the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters-Patent, is:

1. In combination, a pair of risers and a step therebetween, a rodpassed around and connecting said risers, the ends of said rods beingpassed through a link and hooked over said rod, and means supported bysaid rod and supporting said step.

2. In a step ladder, in combination, a pair of risers and a steptherebetween, a rod passed around and connecting said risers, the endsof said rod being passed through the ends of a link and hooked over saidrod at a oint substantially midway its ends, and a block on said rod andsaid link between said ends and supporting said step.

3. In a step ladder, a folding brace comprising a pair of members, ahousing pivoted to one of said members and adapted to slidably receivesaid other member, and means to cause said housing to clamp saidlastnamed member.

4. In a step ladder, a folding brace comprising a member having ahousing pivoted thereon, resilient extensions on said housing, a secondmember adapted to be slidably received by said housing, and meanscarried by said first-named member to press said resilient extensionagainst said second member.

5. In a folding brace, a member having a supporting piece pivotedthereto, said supporting piece comprising a plate having a body portionbent to "form a housing, said plate having resilient extensions at theend of said housing, a second member received by said housing, beveledlugs on said firstnamed member adapted to press against said resilientextensions, and flanges on the sides of said extensions to limit themovement of said lugs, said extensions being beveled for contactwith'said lugs.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

HUBERT A. MYERS.

Witnesses JAS. S. BAKER, E. E. GAsKILL.

